OBLIVION

02

Sitting in the passenger seat of my dad's car, I waited for him while he talked to the group of men that had come with him to pick me up at the airport. I initially thought that they were body guards, but as I watched them talk with my father, it seemed to be a more professional interaction. Maybe they worked for him as a part of his company. I'd have to ask him later. The men dispersed and got into the other two black cars behind my father's. My dad walked around the front of the car, and got into the drivers seat.

    "Sorry about that sweetie." He said, starting the car and pulling out of the private parking lot. He left through a separate exit than the one my aunt and I came in from. We drove behind the airport building itself, onto a private tarmac. I watched as we passed numerous private jets all lined up in a row. One sparked my interest in particular, the one at the very end of the line. It was the biggest, to start, and completely blacked out. A silver "V" was inscribed on the outside.

"Hey is that ..." I started, but my dad cut me off before I could fully ask the question.

"Yes, it is." He said with a chuckle. It was our family's private jet. We had had it before I left to go live with my aunt. I didn't even remember it . "I'm surprised you remembered." He shoots me a sideways glance, shifting his focus back to the road as we pulled onto the main road.

"Me too. I had completely forgot about it until now." I said

"Do you remember the father daughter trips we used to take?" He looked at me for a response.

"Umm no. Not really." I said quietly.

My dad nodded his head to himself as he continued to drive. "It's okay Valen. I know we have a lot of lost time to make up for."

He was right about that.

I did my best to pretend that the silence that ensued wasn't so awkward. That this was normal. It wasn't. It isn't. I had always had hard feelings about my fathers absence, and I thought I would hate every minute of being around him now. And while it's so difficult to look at his face and see a shadow of my own, two lives lived separately on display between our matching eyes, it's also ... I'm not sure.

The sun turns colors like the leaves I haven't seen in hours, the skyline of skyscrapers lit up like an autumn bonfire. I rarely visit the city, which makes little sense considering the proximity. It's beautiful, no doubt. I wish I was one of those girls that dreamed of a busy life in the big city. The girls that have their entire life planned out, sometimes even on paper. I'm sure that's what my father expected of me. It's just how it went in our family. I stare at the luxury stores, diverse sea of people, and billboards. It's all so electric. So visible. I guess it makes sense that I would feel so out of place here. I would drown in a sea like that.

A short drive later, our car and its entourage pull up to a gated community just outside of the city. My Father rolls down the window maybe half way. A second passes, maybe two, and were let in through the silver gates. They barely even look at my father, let alone hear him say a word. I don't see a sign with the name of the neighborhood out front. It's probably an extremely private community. For rich assholes like my father. I wouldn't be surprised if we passed a few golf courses.

We continue driving down the long stretch of charcoal pavement, the sides of the road lined with houses that looked more similar to office buildings. Massive, stone cold, grey structures which felt void of anything a home should be. The further we traveled into the neighborhood, the fewer houses were visible, blocked off by towering trees and walls. The metal gates made a continued appearance, blocking off each property from view. My dads phone begins to ring. He takes a second to check who it is, and answers. I tune out the conversation, a monotone buzz only ever associated with work talk. The blur of grey, black, and metal continue to consume the space on the other side of my window. It seems as though even the sky has had the life sucked out of it, filled with clouds casting a dark shadow on the world. If the past couple hours are any indication of what my new life is going to be like, it's cold and grey and dead.